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What Cutting Edge Looks Like In A School

I know there are many children dreading going back to school. Disliking school is sadly kind of expected. But consider how you would feel if you had to go to a job five days a week where you learned very little and did nothing special.

Unhappy school situations are just as depressing as unhappy job situations. Both tend to affect the entire family as well. Thus, whenever a child expresses reluctance, I think it is a good idea to snoop around the school. You might find something really pleasant and want to add your support to that. With any luck you'll find some great ideas brewing there. Here are my top five signs of what cutting edge looks like in a school along with some of my favorite examples:

Clue 1: The school invests in effective delivery, not just quality content.

LEGO Education StoryStarter and StoryVisualizer and Curriculum Pack: Why give them toys? Why can't they just write an essay? My answer: yes, writing is important but so it telling a story and there are many ways to do that. We live in a highly visual world today where the T.V. screens in an average home might be wider than the coffee table. Thus, to limit students to storytelling in this one dimension is exactly that- limiting. LEGO bricks and pieces can magically bring out brilliant stories in even the most reluctant writers. We want children to practice expressing themselves as much as possible and schools like P.S. 188 in New York City are using the LEGO Education's pieces and software on iPads, Androids, and computers to allow children to flex as many storytelling muscles as possible.

SURVIVE: Inside the Human Body: If I ever saw the SURVIVE series published by No Starch in an American classroom, I think I would probably just break out in applause. The SURVIVE series uses breathtaking graphics in the style of Korean manhwa (similar to Japanese manga). The series of three books (digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems) delivers information in the most memorable way possible - via humor. Think about this: Which news program are you most likely to remember, network evening news or the Daily Show withJon Stewart. Effective use of humor in a school setting is a sign that experienced educators are running the show.

SPRK Sphero Education- I really like how schools are including coding into their curriculum. We all believe it is a critical skill for the future but that is only part of the reason it's great. What is so special is that through coding, kids can practice computational thinking which is basically a great way to build designing/prototyping skills in kids. By coding, kids can create, test, examine, re-do and even re-mix others' work. While other programs allow children to do that on screen, with the Sphero, a robotic
ball, kids can sharpen their coding skills with a real live 3D object in real time. Sphero is a great way to demonstrate the awesome benefits of multi-sensory learning.

Clue 2: The school is thoughtful and strategic about meeting the expectations of a generation that grew up with vastly smarter technology.

WriterKEY- Why do educators dislike management consultants coming into assess teacher efficacy? It's probably because they never follow the teacher home to watch them spend many hours preparing lessons and grading papers. Brockton High School in Massachusetts along with many others have decided to use technology to work smarter and so they've invested in WriterKEY. This teacher-created online tool allows students to submit their work, use and re-use their teacher's feedback whenever they need it. Likewise, teachers are able to use this tool to give feedback and analyze individual student and overall class performance just by pulling data from WriterKEY. This is totally breakthrough.

Glue Dots- Do we still use floppy discs to save our work? Of course not, so why do we let kids continue to use ancient supplies when there are more products that can support our children's way of learning and making. They have a lot less patience now and I don't blame them. This is why I encourage the use of Glue Dots as often as possible. This allows them to make more 3-dimensional art easily. The first time my son was offered glue dots to complete a project, he discreetly hoarded them to use on a later date. Kids know when they've got something useful.

Connector Pens from Faber Castell- As kids get older, they move on from fat stubby markers that roll off the desk to no marker use at all. This is unfortunate because many of them never get to see what markers can really do. These tools are great as they do not require as much fine motor control, thus even children are able to make smooth lines. I love these pens. Not only do these never dry up (just dip in water to revive it) but you can connect them to make shapes or create multiple parallel lines simultaneously. Most importantly, these markers are great for learning techniques such as pointillism, labyrinth and lettering.

Clue 3: The school invests in tools that build social and emotional skills even though there isn't a standardized test for that.

SmartMax Mega Ball Run, Rob & Ringo, Pip & Pete- Any building toy is great for a classroom but I really love SmartMax, especially for Kindergarteners. They are incredibly lightweight making it easy for kids and teachers to transport when necessary. They are sturdy and the magnets are safe and very strong. The Mega Ball Run set allows children to make simple rube goldbergs without spilling marbles everywhere, thus it's safer. Additionally, some SmartMax vehicles even have eyes which lends itself to more pretend play. It's multipurpose language-based social play. Brilliant!

Kimochis: The stress on testing has become so burdensome. However, industry pioneers such as RocketshipEducation, a system of charter schools across the U.S. still give us hope. They use Kimochis to "teach character while building character." What is interesting about this is how teaching these social/emotional skills can help our children become better readers and writers too. In the end, it's all about communication and understanding different points of view. That is a skill worth building in tomorrow's leaders.

Clue 4: The school teaches a child how to become part of the process of learning more productively. It's about learning to help yourself and taking more responsibility in your own education.

Time Timer Plus-The Time Timer is a tool that I use in meetings, when I give talks, and most importantly, when I tell my kids that screen time is over. Using a disappearing red disc to depict the passage of time is simply genius. I've used it with my son when he was as young as two when he didn't even know what a minute was. The latest Plus version is great because it is very sturdy and has an adjustable alarm volume. If you see a Time Timer in a classroom as you might if you visited the Quad Preparatory School in New York City, you'd see that this is a classroom that understands how powerful time is and takes teaching time management seriously.

MeMoves: We all have our little routines once we arrive to work and once we come back from lunch. Who can start working immediately at those times? Kids need to have some time to readjust too but there are just so many people in one room having to readjust themselves at the same time. It can get overwhelming. MeMoves helps with that by leading students through exercises that supports children's attempts to become more regulated, attentive, and participatory. The effect is similar to doing a wave in a baseball stadium but it is much stronger. MeMoves can be found in approximately 2,400 school districts across the U.S. and Canada including Riverview West Side School of Excellence in Minnesota. Check out the students in action and see for yourself. Listen to the music here. It's just perfect.

MotivAider - This is one of best educational tools available for both teachers and students. It literally acts like a silent motivational coach. With a discreet 1980s pager look, this device is easily programmed by the user to vibrate at a desired interval. The vibration is for reminding a student to remember pre-determined phrase of her choosing. It could be something simple as "What's next?" or "Look at the teacher." Teachers also use this to help themselves remember to give positive reinforcement. Imagine what morale would be like if your boss remembered regularly to take notice and commend any praiseworthy work being done. Teachers at the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools have been doing exactly that for students for years. Bravo!

KORE Stool- Some kids just can not sit still for long periods of time. It isn't because they want to willfully disobey authority either. Rather, they are just unable to repress that need for movement. The interesting part is that if their bodies were given an opportunity to move more, they might be able to sit longer. The good news is that if we provide that opportunity with some good tools and good guidance, kids can be more appropriately seated and accessing more of what is being taught in the classroom. Pediatric occupational therapists like Barbara Sheiffer at Westchester Child Therapy likes using this as a tool when working with children. "It assists with the goal of improving core control needed for good sitting posture," she said.

Clue 5: Excellent teachers are resourceful and creative. They can turn anything into a tool for teaching.

Plus-Plus: What can you do with a block set in which all the pieces are exactly the same size? You can do so much and because it is the same size, the kids are able to more easily relate to each other's experiences since everyone has the same thing. Moreover, the use of two hands to complete a task is also very calming and the bright colors of this building toy is quite attractive and inviting. This makes for an awesome group activity but it can also double as an alternative way to learn sculpture and even letter formation. I often find that great teachers see multiple uses in a single tool. It not only shows the depth of knowledge in a teacher, these actions also model what we want for our kids to practice: out-of-the-box thinking and it is all happening at school!

Wishing everyone the most productive school year ever! Good luck to all!

Note: Every product has been personally tested by Toys Are Tools’ testers. Products were submitted to facilitate a review. Some were also purchased by the writer. Reviews are never promised.

I was always interested in the fields of child development and psychology, but I never expected to undergo a crash course in those subjects when I had two boys who turned…

I was always interested in the fields of child development and psychology, but I never expected to undergo a crash course in those subjects when I had two boys who turned out to be quite bright but sometimes they pursued learning in less conventional ways. Wanting to bring more learning in their lives, I started buying the same toys that their teachers and play therapists used. These were some really really great toys that I never saw sold in toy stores. It didn't take long for me to see that children can use these special toys, games, and quirky gadgets to work on the skills that are critical to their academic, social, emotional and physical development. I've written for Quartz and ADDitude Magazine.